NBA Schedule: Heat winning streak on the line, Lakers can gain more ground on Jazz

LeBron James and the Miami Heat have stacked up 24 wins in a row and are chasing NBA history, and on Friday night they will take center stage again when they host the Detroit Pistons on NBATV at 7:30 p.m. ET. The Heat have essentially locked up the top seed in the Eastern Conference and the Pistons are out of the playoff discussion, but the game carries a historical significance that makes it deserving of the only national broadcast of the night.

Plenty of the other action in the association will have an effect on the playoff races, because wins and losses are magnified at this time in the season. In the East, the No. 2 seed Pacers will host the No. 8 seed Milwaukee Bucks (7 p.m. ET) while the No. 3 seed Knicks take on the Raptors. Indiana and New York are separated by just one game in the standings, while Milwaukee sits two games behind the Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls. The Celtics will be in Dallas for a matchup against the Mavericks, and the Hawks will host the Blazers.

In the Western Conference, the Utah Jazz have lost seven of their last 10 games to slip out of the playoff picture, and they will need a strong performance to knock off the San Antonio Spurs (who are 29-4 at home this year). Should the Jazz falter again, the Lakers may be able to create an additional cushion for the eighth seed when they host the Wizards at 10:30 p.m. ET. The Grizzlies will take on the Hornets, while the Thunder will look to preserve their three-game lead over Memphis when they meet the Magic. Finally, the No. 7 seed Rockets will host the banged up Cavaliers.